Heating apparatus.



PATENTBD FEB. v, 1965.

N. M. EDDY. HEATING APPARATUS. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 30,1903.

INVENTOR 1% [son JZZZZJ;

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS No. 7h2,1 16.

UN 1T no STATES Patented February 7, 1905.

NELSON M. EDDY, OF ALIICNA, MllllllliAN.

HEATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '?'82,116, dated February '7, 1905.

Serial Nov 167.5%.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NELSON M. Enni', a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Alpena, in the county of Alpena and State of Michigan, have invented a new and im proved Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to heating apparatus, and especially to an air-escape valve therefor.

The purpose of the invention is to so construct the air-escape valve for heating appuratus that but one valve is required in the length of the air-line for the entire apparatus and so that the valve will be simple, durable, and economic and not liable to be affected by heat, and, furthermore, to so construct the valve that it will greatly add to the speedy and economic operation of the heating system in connection with which it is used, permitting the air to readily escape, but positively preventing a return of the air through atmospheric pressure.

A further purpose of the invention is to so construct the valve that it will not become so ing apparatus and connected air-escape valve in side elevation; and Fig.'2 is an enlarged vertical section through the air-escape valve.

A represents the improved air-escape or vacuum valve, which is located at the lower end of an air-line B, being shown connected with the said air-line by means of a T-coup ling 6, although other suitable means may be employed. The air-line is in communication with a series of automatic expansion airvelvcs B, one of which valves is connected with each radiator B, as is shown in Fig. 1. and another with the return-section of the main stcmirpipc-C, connected with the boiler C. The sziid mniu stomp-pipe C is connected in the usual manner by branches C with the various radiators ll".

It will be observed, as is shown in Fig.1, that the automatic expansion air-valve, connected with the return-section of the main steampipe C, is at one sidcol' the lower terminal of the air-line and the improved uirescupe or vacuum valve A is at the opposi to side of the said lower terminal of the air-line, being shown connected with the air line by the aforesaid T-coupling Z). r

The holler is provided with the usual dainpcr-rcgulator 0, controlled by steam-pressure, also by any approved thermostat.

The construction of the improved air-escape or vacuum valve A is shown in detail in Fig. 2 and consists of a stand-pipe 10, to the upper outer portion of which a casing 11 is sccnred or is made integral with the said standpipe. This casing is preferably circular in cross-section and is closed zit the top by a cap 12, screwed or otherwise removably attached thereto. A tube 13 is located within the cats ing ll, being of loss diameter than the casing and being centrally located within the casing. The said tube 13 extends from the top portion of the stand-pipe 10 around the opening therein, being in communication with the said opening in the stand-pipe. The tube 13 is open at its upper end and is ground to form a seat 14 for a ballvalve 15, preferably made of rubber and hollow. This valve is normally held to its seat by a rod 16, which may be a wire rod, and this rod 16 extends down within the tube 13, on which the hall is seated,

and is provided at its lower end with a weight 17, capable of movement in the said tube 13. The construction of the air-escape or vacuum valve A is completed by the addition of a spout 18, located at the lower portion of the casing 11, which spout is adapted to carry off air or any condensation which may accumulate.

The heating apparatus is installed in the some manner as any good low-pressure steamgravity return system, with the addition of the aforesaid air-line and automatic expansion air-valves and air-escape or vacuum valve.

The air is expelled from the system by pressure of steam generated in the boiler, and the automatic expansion air-valves attached to the radiators prevent steam from entering the air-line, as such valves close when the steam reaches that point.

All of the auton'iatic air-valves on the radiators are connected with the air-line, as has been stated, while the improved air-escape or vacuum valve A is located at the extreme lower or outer end of the air-line. The improved air-escape or vacuum valve will permit the air to escape from the heating system when the pressure within the system is slightly above that of the atmospheric pressure, but will automatically and positively prevent any air returning to the system through itself.

I desire it to be understood that the im proved air-escape or vacuum valve can be used to advantage in connection with systems of steam-heating where a vacuum-pump or other device for exhausting air from the system is used for aiding the circulation of steam through said system by creating a partial vacuum within the system.

The advantages of the improved vacuum or air-escape valve are numerous as compared to similar valves or appliances of which I have knowledge and well answers the purpose for which it is intended, being just as accurate and positive as a mercury seal and operates with a total absence of compressed air within the system.

The improved valve is very simple, it is durable, and it is so located as to be away from the heat.

The weight 17, attached to the ball 15, has material advantage over other methods of seating a valve known to me, as my method insures an accurate, positive, and automatic seating of the valve.

As has been stated, only one of the improved valves is necessary in the air-line system, and the valve is so constructed that when subjected to the strongest vacuum the valve will not become so seated that it will fail to allow the air to escape under the slightest pressure above that of the atmosphere.

In the construction of the improved air-escape vacuum-valve the casing 11 may be secured to the stand-pipe 10 and the tube 13 only made an integral portion of the stand-pipe.

Ilaving thus described my in vention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a heating apparatus, an air-escape or vacuum valve, comprising a stand-pipe, a casing carried by and secured to the stand-pipe and provided with an outlet at its lower end, a cap for closing the outer end of the easing, a tube of less diameter than the casing and located within the same, said tube extending from the top of the stand-pipe around the opening therein and open at its outer end, a ball normally seated at the outer end of the tube, and a weight connected with the ball, whereby to hold the said ball normally seated, as set forth.

2. In a heating apparatus, an air-escape or vacuum valve, consisting of a stand-pipe, a casing attached to the stand-pipe, a removable cap for the casing, an outlet-spout connected with the casing adjacent to the stand-pipe, a tube of less diameter than the casing and located within the same, said tube extending from the top of the standpipe around the opening therein and open at its outer end, a ball-valve seated at the outer end of the tube, and a rod attached to the ball-valve and extending down within the tube in direction of the stand-pipe and provided with a weight at its end, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NELSON M. EDDY. itnesses:

JOSEPH H. Conn, MARGARET MCDONALD. 

